On August 8 and 9, under the premise that “the construction of autonomy is done collectively”, a forum on “Free determination and defense of the territory” was held in the Bachajón ejido, municipality of Chilón.

On the first day of the forum, which was convened by the Movement in Defense of Life and Territory (Modevite), more than 500 people exchanged experiences of self-determination and defense of the territory among indigenous peoples. Representatives of the Permanent Commission for Peace and Justice in Oxchuc were present; as well as of the Indigenous Movement of the Zoque People of Faith in Defense of Life and Territory (Zodevite); of San Felipe de los Herreros (Michoacán) and of the Colectivo Emancipaciones.

The second day consisted of a pilgrimage and a mass in the Bachajón ejido. By means of a pronouncement the different movements and collectives demanded:

“To the Electoral and Citizen Participation Institute of the State of Chiapas, to carry out all the necessary steps so that in Chilón, Sitalá and Oxchuc, our right to elect our municipal authorities according to our internal normative systems becomes effective, a right which is recognized in the second article, section A, section III of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States.

To the Federal Government ,to adapt the text of Article 115 of the Constitution, in such a way that the figure of the Indigenous Municipalities is contemplated, protecting and enforcing the recognition of the right to self-government on the part of indigenous peoples and communities throughout the country.

To the corresponding Authorities, to stop the process of privatization of water that puts our hydrological basins and the survival of our communities at risk. For us, water is not an economic resource, but a source of life, that is why we are willing to defend it to the ultimate consequences. “

On April 20, the Movement in Defense of Life and Territory (MODEVITE) presented the Council of Spokesmen of the Community Government of Chilón, elected in 20 regions of the municipality through the System of Uses and Customs. He explained that this Council “will be spreading the word in our communities about this alternative organization that seeks to resist the system of election by political parties and recover the indigenous constitutional right to self-determination, through the election of the Municipal Authorities according to our Indigenous Normative System, which allows us to exercise our own mode of government “.

More than 4000 people attended the event held in Bachajón “to ratify the path we have undertaken for several years, and through this demonstration, we tell the Mexican State and its Institutions that our organized struggle continues and that these Spokespeople will walk to unite and give more strength to our people ».

The next day, the same thing was done in the neighboring municipality of Sitalá. The MODEVITE stressed that “without refreshments, food or passage fees more than a thousand people met with a single slogan” not only do we seek new leaders, but a different way of governing “».

The MODEVITE explained that the more than 60 communities that filed the request with the Institute of Elections and Citizen Participation (IEPC) with more than 3,000 signatures of support, will be visited by the spokespersons and promoters of Community Government, “to continue building this different form of government despite the fact that until now the electoral institutions have not favored our request, as reported by the sentence of April 6 of this year, by the Electoral Court of the State of Chiapas. Therefore, the presentation of these comrades as well as the interposition of a new trial for the protection of political and electoral rights before the Regional Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal, is a visible argument that we wish to continue in our struggle, with more force and with the support of more and more sisters and brothers ».